Here's the story:

UA622 (ORD-DCA) on Monday at 5:01 pm.

First of all (and not the main topic of this thread, as there is an existing thread on this), there was TSA doing boarding checks. One of the UA managers said that this is policy now for ALL flights going to DCA. I was lucky and didn't get picked, but my friend who was behind me did. Is that anyway to treat Red Carpet access passengers? Anyone heard that is policy now?

Okay, main purpose of this thread.

About a half-hour before landing, my seatmate needed to go to the lav (we were in F on a 319). When he went towards the lav in the front, the FA told him that he must use the lav in the back of the plane because of the 30-minute DC rule. Huh? Not wanting to argue, he went to the very back. Another pax wanted to do the same thing - lather, rinse, repeat. Nobody could use the front lav.

Now I thought all this nonsense went away. I do a few trips to DC a year and don't remember this in the last few years. Before I write United about this, I just want to know if I missed something.

Thanks for reading.